How to adapt the reference mass under the Yandex Minusinsk algorithm

3 months have passed since the launch of the Yandex-Minusinsk algorithm . During this time, several iterations of the algorithm have passed, which means that we can draw the first conclusions about its work. From this article, you will learn how to adapt your link mass to the new Yandex algorithm and how to use the capabilities of the algorithm to your advantage.

It is worth recalling the main feature of the new algorithm. Minusinsk aims to motivate webmasters, SEO specialists, as well as website owners to refuse to use SEO links to promote websites. A feature of this algorithm is that it does not work all at once, but sequentially, by iterations. That is, the algorithm is manual in nature. Yandex includes it at a certain point and set certain settings, for example, it indicates which topics, which regions will be punished after this iteration. And the algorithm itself selects sites with the given parameters and imposes a filter on them. Especially bright representatives Yandex certainly punishes manually.

Or, if you prefer, this is a tool that allows Yandex to manually downgrade any site in search results, which has too many links. An analysis conducted after Yandex punished the first batch (480 sites) showed that the algorithm did not automatically work. Under it, there should have been many more sites, but not 480. But those sites that fell under the algorithm have too different reference masses. Of course, there are similar moments, but only 75% of sites. This gives serious reasons to think about the use of manual methods of lowering positions. It would seem that the algorithm should have affected those who, contrary to the warning, did not try to revise the promotion policy and did not abandon the artificial reference mass. In the Madrid report of Yandex, released in 2009, it was stated that the number of SEO links in runet was 50 million at that time. Obviously, this amount increased several times in 2015. At the conference in Minsk in 2015, when the launch of Minusinsk was announced, Mr. Sadovsky said that the Minusinsk algorithm would affect “all subjects, all sites, all regions”. 9000 users received letters of happiness about the recommendation to remove links. According to Yandex, 37%.

After the first iterations, the first conclusions can be made. Indeed, it is impossible to speak of any carpet bombing, as expected. The first iteration, as follows from a speech by representatives of Yandex, affected only 480 sites from various topics. The positions of these sites as a result of search results were reduced by an average of 20 points. Sanctions were applied dotted to specific sites from various commercial topics. Here are some of them: the sale of household appliances, the provision of services in the creation and promotion of sites, the sale of software.
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Since Yandex works with the quality of the reference mass, it thus confirms once again the fact that the reference factors continue to work and have a significant impact on the website promotion. However, now the task is complicated by the possibility of getting under Minusinsk, or, if you want, manual pessimization from Yandex. You should not hurry and remove all links as Yandex recommends. This will definitely lead to the loss of positions in the long term. The only thing that needs to be done is to thin the reference mass, getting rid of the obvious garbage, if any. This will increase the quality of the reference mass and reduce the likelihood of falling under Minusinsk.

Do not forget about Google. To date, Google’s algorithm, although aimed at combating reference factors, is still not as strict as Yandex. Studies have shown that eating even parts of the links can lead to a significant loss of positions.

No need to believe every word of the representatives of Yandex. Experience and time show that Yandex is often disingenuous about the work of its filters and algorithms. But one should not be led by the link exchanges, which all unanimously after the introduction of the new algorithm claim that removing even some of the links will lead to an immediate departure from the tops.

It is time to change the strategy of purchasing links and gradually withdraw from the garbage, spammed donors. Look at your reference mass in a slightly different way. Calculate completely non-awkward donors, remove links from them for all projects and put them in blacklist. To understand which donor is a trash can, use the list that our specialists have worked on:

Recommendations for the selection of donor sites

1. Number of outbound links. If more than 1000 links, feel free to delete it. In 99% this site is exclusively for selling links. It usually has a lot of mindless pages. Sooner or later, such a site will fall into the favor of Yandex.
2. Spamming donor. That is the quality of the content of the entire site. Avoid sites that are created only for the sale of links and advertising. Such sites, as a rule, are full of various banners and links, shoved in various places and leading to sites of completely different topics.
3. Do not abuse anchors in direct entries promoted requests. Now it is better to carefully add such anchors. Even if for the link you need to lay out a decent amount, you should not chase a straight anchor.
4. Domain zones. Imagine the situation you are promoting the website of the dental clinic in St. Petersburg, 1000 sites refer to you, 300 of them in com.ua, 250 in .info, 150 in .pro and .name, etc. And only 100 in the zone .ru and .com and .spb.ru. A rather strange set of links. Pay attention to the domain zones. And do not forget one important point: Yandex has a heightened love for domain zones .ru. Most likely this is due to the fact that the zone is the oldest for the RuNet.
5. Domain Level Of course, if we talk about Google, then he doesn’t care about the level of the domain you are referring to. But according to personal observations, it is noted that links from the domains of the 2nd level and the 3rd levels transfer different weights.
6. Theme. Yes, there is an opinion that Yandex does not really know how to determine the theme of the site, but do not underestimate its algorithms, even if it doesn’t know how, it will learn. Avoid having donors who sell tires or provide legal services to your website about dentistry. However, if you have a web-studio or you have developed your CMS, then it is quite logical that you will have links from non-thematic resources. It is important to understand from the sites which topics you may be referred to. And what could be the percentage of the total reference mass.
7. A good indicator of the quality of the site may be the main page. When choosing a donor do not be lazy, visit the main page. If the last added information is posted 3 years ago, it is obvious that the site is abandoned and there will definitely not be any benefit from such a donor, but such a donor may be harmful.
8. The amount of textual information. If there are two offers on the donor page and at the same time the page has 5-7 outgoing links, and even different subjects, you see, it looks not very logical. Sort out the pages of donors, if it is less than 2000 characters. It is also good to check the text for uniqueness.
9. Placements of links on pages. As a rule, the owners of donor sites place code to display links in such places that they would not be better placed at all. For example, under the counters at the bottom of the page or even outside the site container. Try to avoid such places.
10. Templates If the site is built on a free template, for example WordPress, it is already at risk and can be regarded by Yandex, and by Google as a site created for selling links. All because of the ease of setting up and running the site on this engine. What the owners govnosaytov like. Of course, this condition is not a 100% indicator, but it doesn’t hurt to think again.
11. Contact information on the donor site. Sites for people always have a page with contact information. And the more detailed it is, the more you can trust this site. Let it be fake, but it will be.
12. Well, a general view. The site is a donor - it should be a site created not for selling links, but it should be a completely live site, no matter if it is an organization or a specific person, it can be a blog. Design should be. You should not want to gouge out your eyes after viewing such a site. Pay attention to where and how links are placed, whether they are included in the design.
13. Remove slowly and monitor intermediate results. With the deterioration of positions, first purchase quality links, then remove the garbage.

If your donors or at least some part of them will meet these requirements, then you will seriously increase the chances for your sites to hit the TOP. Do not just forget about the other factors affecting the promotion,
such as internal optimization, behavioral factors, social cues, etc.